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Puppy and confined spaces

Behavioral Issues
  • @lustopher said in Puppy and confined spaces:

    busy with a frozen kong

    Don't forget to adjust your dogs food intake to balance out the number of calories. My girl gained far too much weight because I fed her a regular portion and failed to count the frozen kong, chew treats, dog bones, etc.

  • So not sure why you are closing doors off? Is there a reason she can't go into other rooms?

  • Based on recent experience with really little puppy guys, first thought that popped into my head was Puppy vs Power Cord. Ouch! This coming from a guy who use to stick his mom's bobby pins into electrical outlets at age three. "Hmmm. Wonder what that would do. Dunno. Better try it." For a three year old... Thirty seconds is more like an hour. In other words, trouble happens fast. :rolling_on_the_floor_laughing:

  • @lustopher - Make sure you take treats with you to the Vet... have the staff give him some and the Vet also. And at home you need to get other strangers to come by the house.... so that he gets used to different people. Do you know how much socialization was done by the breeder?

  • @lustopher - Sounds good, but I always recommend to let the pup come to them... if they are OK with sitting on the floor that is great, be at his level... and when he comes to them, treat time...pet time... but let the puppy come to them, do NOT reach for them...

  • @lustopher said in Puppy and confined spaces:

    I am actually amazed, as the gates have no horizontal lines and are 66cm tall

    If you didn't see him and it looks hard to climb, he probably just jumped it. A couple of feet is no big deal for a Basenji, even a young one. You will likely have to confine him to the crate or else get a higher fence. Five feet unclimbable does for most adults. Another thing that will work is to put a scat mat inside the fence....

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  • @lustopher said in Puppy and confined spaces:

    I really want to get him used to being left alone for 2-4 hours (there's always one of us home

    Are you actually leaving him alone? If one of you is always home, then your exercise leans more to expecting him to leave you alone and entertain himself. That requires an entirely different approach.

    If you want the pup to entertain himself, then ditch the cage inside the cage. Leave the crate in it's assigned location and put a comfy doggy bed in the room you will be working in. Allow the pup to choose where they will hang out while you are occupied doing other things, but do not isolate the pup in a different section of your home. Your dog will learn to just "chill" without the anxiety of wondering why they cannot be with you while you are home.

    If you want the pup to be alone at home without supervision: consider putting baby gates up to block off the kitchen. This will be your pups designated area while you are gone. (Kitchen floors offer easier "oops" cleanup, plus it's typically where the pups water/food dishes are. So, the kitchen will satisfy two issues.) The next step is to get the pup used to being in that room while you are gone. Create a routine, let the pup watch you get your keys, put on your shoes, set up the baby gates, fill his water bowl, etc., etc. The pup will associate the actions with the idea that he will be alone. It provides him an outcome expectation and relieves stress. Then you actually both need to leave. Scruff his head, tell him you will be right back, and leave. Walk to the end of the sidewalk or street, start the car and drive around the block. But actually leave. Standing on the other side of the door won't work because your dog can hear and smell you. Do it over and over again for an afternoon. Your pup will get it and begin to understand that you come back.

    Now you need to teach your pup what to watch for as an indication that he gets to go with you.... that's easy. If you pick up the leash, he gets to go. If you are not taking him, do not touch the leash.

    I hope this makes life with your pup a little easier. :)

  • @lustopher - Note with x-pens and especially for a Basenji as they say "put a lid on it"..... if you were still using a x-pen, put a top on it.... but since you have a new plan..... that seems to be working

  • @lustopher said in Puppy and confined spaces:

    He was also a little distant too afterwards

    Well, this part is his way of telling you that he isn't happy about what you did. The Basenji shun: Bad doggy dad! :grinning_squinting_face:

    You will have to leave and return several times before he understands that you come back. I have found that if you do it several times on the same day, the pup will accept it faster. You don't have to walk him every time on training day, but having the afternoon off is critical. I wouldn't think it would be necessary to bribe him with the kong and bully stick each time either. But do make sure he has access to water with one of those bowls that bolt onto the cage wall.

    He will get the idea. Keep practicing.

  • @lustopher - I can honestly say that having Basenjis and raising Basenjis for over 30+ years... baby gates will not contain them... sorry to say... we built many years ago wooden gates that are over 4' high and do NOT have anything they can latch their feet onto to pull themselves up to climb over. Trying to keep a dog in a kennel when you are home is next to impossible... sorry to say... They are going to complain because they want to be with you...

  • @tanza
    I have seen my boy clear 3 feet from a standing start off a slippery hardwood floor, and have no doubt at all that 4 feet wouldn't have kept him in had he wished to be elsewhere. Like cats, Basenjis can find their way onto counters and table tops if the incentive is compelling enough. Yes, put a lid on the x-pen if you want to keep them in, and emphatically yes, don't confine them when you are home, they just get upset and frustrated. Teaching manners in the house and requesting what you want is a better approach, IMO.

    (Perry knew exactly what I meant when he was underfoot in the kitchen and I said "Be somewhere that is not here!" He would adjourn to the living room couch and leave me in peace.)

  • I have nothing to add, just that Roux, at the tender age of 4 months, figured out that if she has a running start, she can get on the kitchen counter. 4 months. I suspect when she's grown she'll be able to fly!

  • The dog in the video doesn't look like he's been crate trained. I'd recommend training crate skills plus impulse control drills. Also, practicing being alone before you actually leave him alone would probably be useful. A lot of people only make use of the crate when they're about to leave, instead you might first want to work on crate skills when you're not going to leave. As for practicing being alone, well, most pet dog owners don't do this at all, they just leave the dog for a few hours whenever they want to go out. You'd probably find more success with practicing these skills first before moving to real world experiences, just so the dog has some idea of what's going on. If you don't focus on the habituation stage (the first, beginning stage), then you're unlikely to have great success in real life instances.

    Also, I wouldn't leave anything soft in the crate with the puppy, because it's only going to stimulate them and increase their energy, and because they're confined it will increase drive and motivation, but it can't get out, so it will build frustration, which in turn will build drive even more, etc. It's a horrible cycle. If you leave the dog with anything, pig's ears and bully sticks are what I'd choose. Of course, with these there's always a chance that they can choke if not supervised. However, it may be an option for the beginning when you're training being alone (which in the beginning shouldn't be very long; you build up duration slowly).

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    Neutering is not going to help - training is. But a good trainer will train YOU to deal with the dog. If a trainer can get him to behave but you can't - there is little to be gained from paying out money. This is something you should never have allowed to happen, but since it has, I think you should deal with it and @JENGOSMonkey has given you a good idea to start you off. Withdrawing treats is a good idea, but also, get up and walk away. He could be biting to get attention and therefore you withdraw the attention at the first sign of a bite, with a firm NO.
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    @giira2121 as @donc said First off, if a vet thinks neutering will change aggressive behavior you should look for a new vet. That is such a discredited myth. If she doesn't know that what else doesn't she know? When considering whether to neuter, I'd suggest you check out the link below. It has scientific research to dispel many neutering myths. It's a brief but very thorough booklet discussing the pros and cons of neutering/spaying, more science based than anecdotal. https://my.puppyculture.co.uk/resources/flipbook/spay-neuter-booklet/ There is definitely less societal compulsion to spay/neuter in Europe.
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    Thank you very much to everyone for your input! I've tried being more strict with the feeding times and taking it away if he's picking. I think I'm going to consider the switch to wet food and actual meat products because any time I add in some "bonus" meat to his kibble, he goes nuts. Teething certainly doesn't help, but variety is definitely key as well it seems. Also feed him out of the big Kong rolly thing sometimes where he has to tap it the right way to get food out. Seems to engage the hunter in him. Anyway, on with the battle! This little guy is growing into quite the little gentleman :)
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    Your story is so similar to mine, though mine is two and has not changed. Totally destructive. Even though he has had lots of training, gets mental stimulation, and goes to the dog park every day, he is no longer fun to be around. My brand new wood floors and furniture are ruined, my car is scratched up and dirty and he refuses to come to me. It is cold here, too, and when I took him to the park yesterday (all ice, snow, mud and cold water) he would not leave…even after all the other dogs left. The only way I caught him was that his paws were beginning to freeze and he could only keep three on the ground at a time. It was dark by then, I was nearly frostbit myself. I have had several GOOD dogs in the past. This one has been to the "best" trainers in town, has a great vet and a nice home. I don't think it would be ethical to adopt this monster out, so I am considering putting him down myself and cut my losses, both emotional and financial. I just wrote a note to the breeder to see if they have similar problems with the dogs they sell. I had such high hopes.
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    I will second everyone else and just go down to the two meals a day. You can give her a mid day snack like a few cookies. But her poos can be soft because she is eating to much food and causing the slight weight loss because it is just coming out LOL Also like most, my adult only eats 2/3 of a cup a day. With the amount on the bags they are just "recommend" amounts. You have to adjust to what is best for your pup/dog and feed them what works to keep them at an ideal weight.